HIV Partner Notification Values and Preferences Among Sex Workers, Fishermen, and Mainland Community Members in Rakai, Uganda: A Qualitative Study
Open accessAbstract
HIV partner notification involves contacting sexual partners of people who test HIV positive and referring them to HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services. To understand values and preferences of key and general populations in Rakai, Uganda, we conducted 6 focus group discussions and 63 in-depth interviews in high prevalence fishing communities and low prevalence mainland communities. Participants included fishermen and sex workers in fishing communities, male and female mainland community members, and healthcare providers. Questions explored three approaches: passive referral, provider referral, and contract referral. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using a team-based matrix approach. Participants agreed that passive referral was most suitable for primary partners. Provider referral was acceptable in fishing communities for notifying multiple, casual partners. Healthcare providers voiced concerns about limited time, resources, and training for provider-assisted approaches. Options for partner notification may help people overcome barriers to HIV serostatus disclosure and help reach key populations.
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Patients' main reason for preferring simple patient referral was to maintain privacy.
“Similar to health workers, patients' main reason for preferring simple patient referral was to maintain privacy (124, 128, 129).”
From Updated recommendations for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Treponema pallidum (syphilis) and new recommendations on syphilis testing and partner services (2024) · cites this paper as [124]
The Results section on passive referral (page unavailable) says participants valued it for demonstrating faith and building trust in intimate relationships, not for maintaining privacy. The Results section on provider referral instead associates anonymity with preference for provider referral, particularly among sex workers and fishermen. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHealth workers indicated that to deliver services effectively they would need support, including training, data management tools, funding, more staff time, and supportive policies.
“Health workers also indicated that to deliver services effectively they would need support, including training, data management tools, funding, more staff time allocated to complete certain tasks, and supportive policies (124, 127, 132-139).”
From Updated recommendations for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Treponema pallidum (syphilis) and new recommendations on syphilis testing and partner services (2024) · cites this paper as [124]
The Results (Assisted partner notification; page unavailable) report healthcare providers’ concerns about limited time, resources, and training. The Discussion (page unavailable) likewise identifies training and staff time as implementation considerations. Our copy does not identify data-management tools, funding specifically, or supportive policies as needs indicated by these workers. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPatients in many studies mentioned stigma due to being exposed as having been unfaithful, as well as blame and embarrassment, as motives not to want to notify sexual partners.
“Additionally, patients in many studies mentioned stigma due to being exposed as having been unfaithful, as well as blame and embarrassment, as motives not to want to notify sexual partners (119, 124, 126, 136, 138, 141, 143, 149, 159, 160, 162, 165, 166).”
From Updated recommendations for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Treponema pallidum (syphilis) and new recommendations on syphilis testing and partner services (2024) · cites this paper as [124]
In Results > Passive referral (page unavailable), participants described fear of being accused of promiscuity and blamed for bringing HIV into a relationship; the paper says that blame deterred some people from notifying partners. The Discussion also identifies social stigma as a disclosure challenge. The cited study does not report embarrassment as a motive or itself establish that patients reported these motives in many studies. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAnother common issue was the difficulty of retrieving and/or having the correct contact information for all sexual partners, in addition to notifications being ignored.
“Another common issue was the difficulty of retrieving and/or having the correct contact information for all sexual partners, in addition to notifications being ignored (123, 124, 127, 132, 137, 138, 140, 144, 149, 151, 152, 155, 158, 167-170).”
From Updated recommendations for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Treponema pallidum (syphilis) and new recommendations on syphilis testing and partner services (2024) · cites this paper as [124]
The Discussion says that missing or unreliable contact information makes non-primary partners difficult to notify, and the Results describe difficulty obtaining names and tracing partners (page numbers unavailable). The paper does not say that partners ignored notifications; being unreachable or not notified is not the same as ignoring a notification. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe most commonly mentioned barrier was individuals' concerns about potential harm or other negative consequences, even despite very little evidence of actual harm.
“Overall, the most commonly mentioned barrier was individuals' concerns about potential harm or other negative consequences (e.g. fear of relationship break-up, violence, loss of social and financial support) (108, 124, 128-130, 136, 140-144, 146-164), even despite very little evidence of actual harm.”
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- Authors
- Quinn, C., Nakyanjo, N., Ddaaki, W., Burke, V. M., Hutchinson, N., Kagaayi, J., Wawer, M. J., Nalugoda, F., & Kennedy, C. E.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Rakai Health Sciences Program (UG)
- Corresponding author
- Quinn, Caitlin
- ORCID
- Venue
- AIDS and Behavior
- Published
- 2018-01-25
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 3407-3416
- ISSN
- 1090-7165 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3254
- PMC
- PMC6060041
- OpenAlex
- W2785843718
- Cited by
- 19
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 0.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- AIDS and Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- World Health Organization
- National Institutes of Health (P30AI094189)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH105313)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Sex work and related issues
- Keywords
- HIV partner notification, provider referral, sex workers, fishermen, fishing communities, key populations, HIV status disclosure, Rakai, Uganda
- MeSH terms
- Workforce, Adult, Female, Fisheries, Health Personnel, Humans, Male, Mass Screening, Referral and Consultation, Sexual Partners, Uganda, HIV Infections, Contact Tracing, Focus Groups, Qualitative Research, Young Adult, Sex Workers
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